Zero Power Smart Fashion Conference

During Fashion Week, we attended the Zero Power Smart Fashion Conference, which showcased the latest advancements in the fields of fashion and technology. Located at The Gallery of Metropolitan Pavilion in the Flatiron District, the conference was designed to help merge the two growing sectors and allow specialists in these areas to connect from both the US and throughout Europe. Over 20 speakers ranging from professors of technology to textile designers to healthcare professionals and beyond presented at the event, which was hosted by top universities EPFL and ETH Zurich in cooperation with Swissnex Boston, an organization devoted to connecting Switzerland and North America in the areas of science, education, and art.

photo via Katie Nicole Mercado

In Vogue Now

According to Carrie Bradshaw, one of the biggest fictional fashion icons of all time, “Every year the women of New York leave the past behind and look forward to the future... this is known as Fashion Week." Although the shows ended two weeks ago, it is still in our minds (and hearts). While the catwalks were showing us what is going to be in trend for the next spring/summer, outside the tents, captivating ensembles of girls and guys from across the industry showed us what is in vogue now.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

Fashion Week Part 2

Welcome back for part two of our NYFW wrap up! Today we'll cover the rest of our Fashion Week circuit and continue to introduce you to more must-know emerging labels hitting the New York fashion scene this season.

photo via Peter Roessler

Fashion Week Part 1

We have been busy bees at MBF covering event after event during New York Fashion Week, from off-site venues to the tents at Lincoln Center. To name a few, we covered Nolcha Fashion Week, the Angola International Fashion Show, the Snowman Runway Presentation, and even went inside the tents to see Custo Barcelona hit the catwalk. We also attended off-site events such as Manufacturer New York’s Second Anniversary Bash, the Refinery29 Country Club, and Christian Siriano’s fragrance launch party.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

At 17 and self-taught, the Houston based designer Amir Taghi made his debut at New York Fashion Week this season with a collection inspired by fierce women chasing after their dreams. He name dropped icons like Bianca Jagger, who was known for her signature low cut suits that were the perfect combination of sexy and elegant. Overall, his designs reflect his Persian background and emit an unapologetic sense of sophisticated luxury which is so consistent with the chic southern style he surrounds himself with.

photo via Carrie Hammer

Carrie Hammer creates customized business dresses for the modern woman and what better way to empower her collection than to have real life professionals strutting down the catwalk? Replacing runway models with role models, Carrie is making a major statement by equating beauty with success. Held at The Fashion Law Institute, this year's diverse lineup included the likes of top female executives from Shoppable, The Li.st, Amazon, Intuit, Fast Company, Apple, and both Geena Rocero a transgender model as well as Karen Crespo, a quadruple amputee who walked the runway for the first time with her new limbs. 

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

We came across the swimwear line Feelo'je at the Angola International Fashion Show who's tropical palette and Caribbean vibes brought together a striking collection of bold bikinis inspired by the sunset. The designer Janay, who officially launched her label at age 17, came up with the name Feelo'je to pay homage to her hometown and merge it with her "feel" for fashion.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

Another noteworthy designer at the Angola Fashion Show was Lucrecia Moreira who blends African, European and American cultures into one cohesive line. This collection in particular was inspired by the Mao collar but reinterpreted and applied to dresses of varying lengths and cuts.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

NAMM also known as "New Age of Money Makers" is a cool menswear label that draws inspiration from modern art, architecture, and represents a team of ambitious 20-something Millennials. Shown at Manufacturer New York, designer Ron Wallace is working as the first incubator for the new initiative, which has really helped mature his aesthetic and grow as a designer. The collection is credited for it's fine tune details and is looking to expand to a bigger show and larger venue next year, possibly even in Paris.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

Portuguese designer Katty Xiomara who is known for her graphic themes, strayed a bit from last season's geometrics and color blocking, and introduced a focus on the structure behind the geometrics. Shown at Nolcha Fashion Week, the clothing had a lighter, softer, more transparent take for summer and with the label's popularity quickly gaining momentum, she's definitely one to keep an eye on!

photo via Nolcha Fashion Week

Also spotted at the independent fashion show Nolcha was the contemporary lifestyle brand, Charles & Ron. The self-taught couple created the collection by transforming photographs from their capital city of Malta into a captivating display of prints. Overall, the brand is deeply rooted in their Maltese culture and truly symbolizes the spirit of the Mediterranean. 

photo via Refinery29

This season Refinery29 really made a splash at NYFW and introduced their interactive Country Club pop-up concept down on Mercer Street in SoHo. Here fashionistas were able to take a break from all the Fashion Week madness and enjoy snacks and refreshments as well as a nine-hole mini golf experience inspired by different designers like Suno and Marc Jacobs.

photo via Refinery29

Refinery29 also teamed up with Lord and Taylor to present The New Class of Designers showcase called Brand Assembly. Together, they produced a runway show featuring advanced contemporary designers which included the likes of Sachin + Babi, Priority Ten, and Calla. Right now these up and coming labels are available to shop at the Brand Assembly concept shop both online and at the Fifth Avenue flagship.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

And lastly one of our favorite Fashion Week events was the Cara x Mulberry Scavenger Hunt. With the help of Refinery29, about 30 girls were stationed throughout the city on bikes giving away custom totes filled with keys. Out of all these giveaways, only three lucky keys, each at one Mulberry location across New York, were actually able to unlock the padlocks holding a handbag from Cara's new Mulberry collection. One of our team members was able to track down the Refinery29 girls and get a key, but unfortunately it did not unlock the case holding the handbag turned backpack. However, it was definitely some good old fashionable fun!

Please check our Facebook and Instagram for great street style pics from all these events during New York Fashion Week.

This is part one, stay tuned to part 2 to be posted soon!

The Green Juice Generation

If you haven’t noticed yet (or already joined in on the craze), the heart of New York has become increasingly health conscious over the past few years with a tremendous amount of juice stores, healthy cafes, and organic markets sprouting up across the 5 boroughs. These places are usually filled with what we now call The Green Juice Generation, people aged 18 to 40, who live and breathe all things active, healthy, and organic.

photo via BostInno

Motivated by the desire to stay fit and looking good, the GJG have enlisted in new fitness trends such as Crossfit, Ballet fitness, Beyonce themed dance classes and different styles of Yoga as an alternative to traditional crowded gym centers. Not to mention, at the most recent IDEA World Fitness Conference in California, there are some even more challenging workouts just on the verge of making it big like TRX suspension training, BollyX dance classes, and K9 Fit Clubs fit for both you and your pup.

photo via Juice Press

For one, this new movement is definitely changing the face of dieting with juicing health regimes being the new thing to do. With such a high demand for detox and juice cleansing, businesses like Juice Press now even offer in-store, home or work delivery of kits with specific instructions on how to diet the right way using their products. Juicing places are everywhere right now, and among the long list of juice and smoothy varieties, they also offer organic, gluten free and/or dairy free food options.

photo via Downtown Magazine

Speaking of food, the Green Juice Generation’s go-to ingredients have quickly become superfoods like Kale, Chia, and a plethora of exotic nuts and berries. This health food obsession all goes back to the rise of Millennials who vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets are changing the face of food and making it synonyms with a sense of community.

photo via Vogue UK

Looking across the Atlantic at London, supper clubs are revamping the city's dining structure with places like Honestly Healthy, Tanya's Cafe, and  The Camberwell Kitchen Supper Club giving this health craze an upgraded elite social status. These supper clubs offer guests the chance to enjoy a rather extensive menu of raw foods, live music, and superfood infused cocktails while in an intimate setting of both familiar and new faces.

photo via Bustle

Fashion Week may be over in New York, but with three more cities to go, we thought we'd leave you with a few healthy snacks that will keep you on-the-go glamourous no matter where you are and what you're doing so check them out here. Also, make sure to stay tuned for next week's Fashion Week Roundup!

MBF's DIY Hacks

With the Fall shows kicking off today and cooler temperatures just around the corner, we thought we'd get in the groove by highlighting our favorite, most fashionable DIYs of the season.

photo via Mr.Kate

Before we get started, whether you're a beginner or arts and crafts fiend, there are some essential supplies that every DIYer needs. According to the famed DIY Queen, Kate Albrecht of Mr. Kate, a basic kit should include the likes of adhesives, fabric paint, paint brushes, glitter, spray paint primer and spray paint, x-acto knife, hole punch, twine, wire, needles and thread, painters tape, pliers, wire cutters, tweezers, sharpies, pencils, erasers, and of course a good pair of scissors. Not only will these tools help as you begin to experiment with various projects, but they can easily be picked up at your local craft store in one go. So now that that's covered, let's get creative!

photo via Fall for DIY

Sweater weather is almost here and everybody needs warm, cozy layers to kickstart Fall. However, this year it's time to upgrade those beloved wooly knits with some pom pom pizzaz. All you need is some mini pom poms, a needle and thread, and of course a comfy sweater fancying a bit of a fashion upgrade.

photo via Honestly WTF

Nail art is super hot right now and since we aren't all gifted with a steady hand, we'd like to introduce you to nail striping tape. It's easy, affordable (a mere $2), and gives you flawless looking designs by simply sticking it on your nails and adding a top coat. However, if you're feeling a bit more brave, this tape is perfect to mask off geometric shapes and create color blocked patterns as well.

photo via Miss Kris

Sometimes a girl just needs some subtle bling in her life. So why not take two of your favorite things and combine them into one for the ultimate style upgrade? Jeweled clutches are the perfect way to add some glamour to any look, especially when it's coming from one of your favorite sparkly necklaces. For the how to tutorial, click here.

photo via A Beautiful Mess

If you haven't jumped on the logo bandwagon yet maybe it's because you just haven't found a slogan that says something about who you are. Once you figure out what you want to say, plaster it onto one of your favorite tees or sweatshirts using either iron on transfers or glitz it on with sequins. Not only is it a super easy trick, but a great gift to tell someone how you really feel!

photo via ISPYDIY

Denim has become more than a staple in our wardrobes as of late, and with distressing pretty much everywhere right now, we'd thought we'd learn to do it ourselves. While this project can be tedious at times, once you get the hang of it, you'll go on a distressing frenzy on all the denim in your closet. If you're willing to give it a try, follow I SPY DIY's tutorial and we promise you won't be sorry!

video via Mr. Kate

We don't know about you, but we are still super sneaker crazed and after wearing our favorite kicks all summer, it may be time to make a new statement for Fall. So why not update your everyday sneaks with a cool snakeskin print in a color of your choice? Or if prints aren't really your thing, you can always add some studs and spikes to give those old runners some fresh edge!

Stay tuned for our Fashion Week coverage from the New York shows next week and make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see what we are up to until then!

AMP3 Press Day

Last week we had the pleasure of attending AMP3 PR's Press Day, featuring five amazing brands to watch out for this fall. Sponsored by Zico Coconut Water, Energems chocolate energy, Pretzel Crisps, and Probelle nail polish, the showcase was full of good vibes, trendy clothing, and highlighted Fall 2014 collections from Bela Criacao, Citizen Ciao, SNOWMAN New York, NOMAD by Tess Johnson, and Cat Footwear.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

With a love affair for the bright and colorful, Bela Criacao is a South American brand designed for curvy shapes and offers key transitional pieces that women can wear from the office to an evening out. In Portuguese, the label literally means "beautiful creations," and is made right here in Manhattan. Focusing on fit, fabric, quality, and construction, Bela Criacao presented their Holiday 2014 and Spring 2015 lines, which both embody seamlessly sexy and confident staples essential to any woman's wardrobe. Currently, the fashion label is available online via their website as well as at a few select boutiques across the country.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

Citizen Ciao is a new cutting-edge streetwear brand for both men and women whose mission is to give back to people around the world. Inspired by Southern California surf culture, this multicultural lifestyle label infuses an urban attitude with eye-catching graphics and donates part of its profits to the organization Project Hope Alliance, which aims to end the cycle of poverty through education and family stability. The name, Citizen Ciao, was born from the idea that people should be respectful of one another and say Hello and Goodbye to each other, which is what "Ciao" translates to in Italian. Their tagline, "the new surf," reflects their desire to remain inline with surfing culture but mix it up with floral, stripe, and text designs. To check out more of the label, click here.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

The NYC based outerwear company, SNOWMAN New York is known for their signature high quality, light-weight down jackets. By keeping what makes New Yorkers "tick" in mind, the label reflects the vibrancy and energy of New York with their Fall/Winter collection inspired specifically by 42nd Street. For Spring, their range will include trench coats and rain jackets in a lighter range of vibrant yellows, purples, oranges, and blues. Right now you can shop them online or across the city at Equinox shops.